


Private Detective Mako (Pilot): The Hunt

by solarbird



Series: Private Detective Mako: The Hunt [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Peter Gunn (TV 1958)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Noir, Detective Noir, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-30
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2018-03-09 16:21:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3256457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarbird/pseuds/solarbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's AG 197, 20 years after the end of The Legend of Korra. Ex-triad, ex-pro-bender, ex-cop Mako works the streets of Republic City defending the people the people can't quite reach.</p>
<p>This is the pilot episode for an AU series, in short story form, and is adapted from Peter Gunn, "The Hunt," original story by Blake Edwards, original teleplay by Lewis Reed. It uses characters from Avatar: The Legend of Korra, as well as several OCs, some of which are adapted from "The Hunt."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 週五, the fifth day, the first of the weekend, we'll call it Friday, an act in three parts.

_Part 1_

"Got a light?"

The thin, vaguely watery woman in a glittery cloak called over to Mako from the sidewalk outside the club, cigarette in hand, voice sharp against the muffled sound of jazz from the stage. Mako cocked an eyebrow and smiled, just a little. “I suppose so.”

The grey-eyed woman stepped over and leaned in, and the private detective bent a tiny, controlled flame. Light flashed against the quartz stones in the fabric as she lit her cigarette.

"They’re coming for you, Mako. Tomorrow night."

Mako started, the tiny flame flickered, and out. “What? Who is? Who’s coming for me?”

She stepped away, one step, then three. “They’ll kill me if they know I told you,” she said, retreating back towards the curb. “Tomorrow night,” and melted into the crowd.

Hesitating but alert, Mako tried to watch the woman as she fled, as Wu popped out of the performer’s side entrance and grabbed his arm. “Mako, doll! You’re about to miss my first set! You can’t do that!”

No sign of her. She’d vanished into the nightlife. “I’m afraid I’ll have to, Wu. Suddenly I have some people to see.”

Wu pouted, briefly. “A client?” he asked, and got a nod in return. “Well, fine. Second set is always better anyway. But don’t be late.”

"I won’t."

 

_Part 2_

The thick, vaguely menacing woman in a low hat and dark glasses stood stoically at the end of a long table in the dimly-lit office of a second-story walk-up in the industrial part of town. At the far end of the table, an older, wiry man in grey handed a thick stack of bills to his second, who passed it to her left, down a course of lieutenants, one after another, eight in all, the last of whom placed the payment on a small tray before the woman in glasses.

"It needs to be out of town. The farther out of town, the better," said the man at the head of the table.

The woman in dark glasses nodded her assent.

"It needs to be _quiet_. Quiet as far as the city is concerned, anyway."

Another nod, with a bit of a smirk.

"There needs to be _no trace_ left behind. You leave anything, he has friends, his friends will find it."

The woman leaned in towards the light, the brim shading her features, a ghost of a smile crossing her lips. She picked the money off the black lacquered tray, then stepped away, back into the dark. "My specialty," she said, her footsteps echoing down the hallway as she turned towards the street. "It's what I do."

A door closed, almost silently behind her. Seven Fingers Tang frowned, looking at the grey man, leaning forward in her chair. "I still don't like it" she said, frustrated, pointlessly.

Viper laughed, a single, quiet, derisive bark of a noise, leaning back in his chair. "You don't like anything."

The right side of Tang's mouth twitched. "I don't like leaving out the Avatar problem."

Viper shrugged. "She does her job, there is no Avatar problem."

"I don't like leaving his brother alive." 

"I keep telling you, Tang." Viper smiled confidently. "One problem at a time. _One_ problem."

 

_Part 3_

"Nah, Mako, you gotta understand, I'm legit now. I got a license and everything!"

The gruff, wiry woman leaned down, her ear against cold metal, as she slid a small sliver of sliver under the safe's slightly-less-sealed-than-before selector. With her left hand, she shushed Mako, then pointed towards the wall where said license hung in a small frame.

Mako glanced over at the ornate paper in its red and black frame and orange matte. Very nice. Very Fire Nation. It didn't even look fake. He looked back at the locksmith, and raised one eyebrow. "Okay, good for you. But you still know people."

"So do you. Quiet, I almost got this." She worked another tiny tool under the tumblers.

"Are you saying I have friends in low places?" asked Mako, sardonically.

"Mako, _I'm_ a friend in low places." Yeh waved her hand impatiently, fiddling at the lock, and eyes closed, feeling her way through the tiny pieces of metal. A scrape; a slide; another scrape; a hint of a ping - corrosion breaking away? - and then, barely present, a diminutive _chock_ as a miniature platinum lever buried inside the platinum door swung gently into place. She exhaled, and smiled.

"So, yeah. Y'do." She leaned back, away from the safe on her desk for a moment, wiping her hands with an absorbent cloth. "But I got nothin'. I'm not involved anymore."

Mako nodded. "You hear things."

Yeh shrugged. "Sure. I hear things. I hear things all the time." She leaned against the low railing separating her desk and chair from her workshop space, and put her hands together in front of her chest, index finger and thumbs touching. "But I ain't heard _this_."

Mako exhaled, frowning, a frustrated grunt of air through his nose. "But you've heard _something_."

"Sure. I heard an ostrich jockey suddenly got all sick-like last week."

"I don't think that's it."

"I heard some Terras talking about a rumble."

"Very funny."

Yeh snickered. "I know, right? But it's true, I laughed so hard I choked on my ramen. But..."

"...but?"

Yeh wiped her nose. "I dunno. She ain't what I call reliable and it ain't what I call... _solid_."

Mako stepped up next to the safe, palms down against its cold surface. "What."

"I heard somebody say they heard somebody say somebody's back in town."

"Go on."

"Somebody old, somebody's been gone for a while. Some kind of lighting bender. Maybe."

"Lightning bender, _maybe_."

"Yeah. _Maybe_." Yeh put down the towel, and picked up another sliver of silver, looking back at the lock. "Now get outta here. I got work to do."

 

_to be continued_


	2. 週六, the sixth day, the second of the weekend, we'll call it Saturday, an act in two parts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This was originally posted as a separate work because I didn't know better._

_Part 1_

Mako sat at the bar, nursing a drink, his back to the stage, and listened, smiling, as Wu's tenor poured out across the room with a smoothness that would've been unimaginable not so very long ago.

> _...suddenly_  
>  the setting is strange  
>  I can see water and moonlight beaming  
>  Silver waves that break on some undiscovered shore

Across the dance floor, on the street side of the room, the house doors opened - 'Beifong, of course, but out of uniform, and... Lai?' Mako noted, immediately trying to forget having noticed. He shipped a bit more of his laojiao, and tried to relax in its rumours of peach blossom.

> _Then_  
>  Suddenly, I see it all change  
>  Long winter nights with the candles gleaming  
>  Shimmers on your face that I adore

Beifong marched with her lieutenant along the bar and up to Mako as he slowly spun around on his bar stool to listen to the band swing into the bridge solo. 'This new haidi player isn't bad,' Mako thought to himself.

Lin leaned against the counter, across from the private detective - mercifully not blocking the stage, not quite - but before she could even speak, Mako held out his hands, then gestured towards the stage. Not yet. Beifong frowned, but nodded to Lai, who planted herself against the wall next to the kitchen entrance and silently surveyed the scene.

> _...you smile_  
>  And the spirits sing  
>  And though it's just a gentle murmur  
>  At the start;  
>  We kiss, as the spirits sing  
>  And leave their music  
>  ringing  
>  in my heart!

Wu blew a kiss towards the crowd. Mako smiled. The usual crowd - the mainstays, the jazz lovers, the people who come out in bad weather - applauded as the band bowed, and cleared the stage for a break between sets. Lai leaned over during the ovation, and murmured quietly - "the room looks clear" - to Beifong.

"Now, Lin - what was your problem?"

Beifong frowned. "You know the problem."

Mako sipped his drink again. "Maybe I don't. Why don't you try me?"

"I'm too old for these games, Mako. You and I both know there's talk out there."

"Really?" Mako raised an eyebrow. "Just how strong is this language?"

"Certain parties would like to see you eliminated. Is that strong enough?" She leaned forward, pressing her point. "It would seem that certain leading figures in the underworld consider you a nuisance."

Mako granted himself a little, crooked grin. "Well, now, that's not very charitable."

"It may not be very healthy. I think you could use some police protection."

"Can't afford it."

"What do you mean, you can't afford it?" demanded Beifong.

"It's a matter of morale."

"Whose morale?!"

"My clientele's! They hear I have police protection, their confidence in me would be completely shattered."

Beifong sighed. "That sense of humour of yours, maybe you can laugh them out of it."

"Hey, it's worked before." Lin didn't smile. "Look," Mako said, "what do you want from me?"

"A little cooperation."

"Don't worry, Lin, I'll try not to get killed."

Beifong's grunt of frustration sounded a bit like a boar-q-pine getting ready to throw quills. "Mako, if the information we have is valid, you could get it any time, any place. You're a walking target. Do you understand me?"

"You say that like it's something new."

"I'm trying to get a point across."

"I know, I can feel it from here."

"Mako, you're..." She sighed.

"I know. I appreciate it, Lin. But I already know. And I'm already handling it, my way."

"I sure hope you know what you're doing."

"See you later, Chief," Mako said, taking another sip of his drink.

"Yeah. If your luck holds out."

Wu watched Beifong and Lai make their separate ways out of the club, before breaking away from his little fan club and taking the Chief's former place next to Mako. "So, what's the word from Mama Beifong?"

Mako looked up, concentration broken. "What? Oh, you know, police harassment, checking up on our liquor license, the usual."

Wu looked disappointed. "Okay, then, don't."

"Don't what?"

"Confide in me."

"There's nothing to confide." Mako leaned over, putting his arm around Wu, and gave the singer a little peck on the cheek. "I'll see you a little later, okay? I've got to shake a couple of things out of a couple of people."

"Sometimes I hate your job."

"Sometimes I do too."

_to be continued_


End file.
